We Need a Legacy
by Nicolette Aka Nikki-Chan
Summary: A series of ruminations about the nature of the ultimate act of retribution. Prepare for OC's, speculation, and buying into various fan theories. Post season 1.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Advisory:

The set up for chapter two is based off a Tumblr vignette by Angelitalysrg posted on July 9th . They have been very gracious in allowing me permission to work from that inspiration.

I want to thank my Beta reader ChocolateYuriObsessor for always being an attentive listener and not allowing me to give up.

And now without further ado I give you the most messed up contrived sequel to the first season of Voltron I could possibly imagine. Have fun.

 **Part one**

 **Our Past: Nuestro Pasado**

The castle was abuzz with positive energy. In all its grandeur and magic, the joy of the occupants perhaps shone brightest as it cruised through the void of space.

In a relative lull of malicious space activity _the_ _issue_ had again risen to the forefront of castle conversations. _Earth_. Though the work of the paladins was never done, Allura had conceded that returning to Earth for a short while would not be impossible. They would have to be careful, and certainly could not frequent earth, but a visit was not uncalled for especially in light of the morale boost this simple idea had brought to the earthlings aboard.

Presently all five Paladins were lounging, strewn across a circular couch in the center of the room.

Hunk and Lance, their sentimentality and homesickness released in the past several hours, were now talking about food of all things. The others were less prone to engage in ceaseless chatter, and had relaxed into a comfortable silence.

Keith's last months on earth had been spent holed up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, as a dropout and seemingly a failure. He had cut all ties and been hopelessly stuck on some sort of demented 'anthropology' kick. The red paladin though tied to the Voltron cause savored the idea of a return to clean up things left behind.

Pidge had fought with her mother then abandoned home, spending those last precious months on earth distancing from her own identity and building a façade; one that came with strength and determination increased tenfold. A change in lifestyle Pidge had hoped would yield results, and in a way it had. Though she had not found her father or brother, the green paladin wished to rekindle hope in her mother after so long without news.

Shiro had darker thoughts to attend to. Though there were many things he missed about his home, he felt he could not make his return known, not after the _warm_ reception had received upon his previous return. The paladin of the black lion would not be made a prisoner ever again.

This very issue of course was not isolated to simply Shiro. Contingency plans had been made. A return to Earth was risky. If the situation became dire, immediate extraction was top priority.

The collective hope was for a discreet entrance. The impressive battle ship that was _The Castle of Lions_ would remain safely out of range, Allura and Coran manning the helm. One of the castle's standard transportation pods would be used for the final leg of the journey. The lions would not be brought to earth; they could not be risked. To the five homesick humans, their perceived 'itinerary' was clear. Communication was their first priority to secure a safe arrival. Afterwards if all went well they could proceed to a day of reunions and simple joys. The whole trip would end with peaceful withdrawal leaving behind an olive branch bidding Earth to join the Voltron alliance. It was this daydream of the best case scenario which flitted through the head of each paladin that afternoon.

A live feed relayed the current situation to Princess Allura. She smiled softly viewing lounging paladins through security monitors on the bridge. "They deserve this" she intoned. Coran hummed in agreement from across the room. Her eyes dropped to the control panel as she banished the video module. She silently clenched and unclenched her hands unwilling to raise her head. Coran gave a sigh "I'd say we deserve the same if only we had that option". A wave of mutual mourning passed in a brief glance they shared. "But we do not" Allura finished. They had this conversation and all it's iterations before, and would surely have it again.

"Allura" he dragged out her name, "please do not despair, I did not intend…"

"No, I know that" she answered.

Taking a breath she turned to her advisor with renewed strength. "I will not let it cloud this day. What we have here is a new hope; and most certainly a brighter future for this generation of paladins."

Just because they had lost their own home, Altea did not mean they had to wallow in misery.

A small smile of sacrifice wavered on her lips. "I have faith in them. I truly believe they can accomplish what we failed to do before".

Perhaps an hour later, or whatever time slices you prefer to quantify with, Allura and Coran left to fetch the others. They would soon be departing via wormhole.

The crew assembled in the bridge, all anticipation and nerves.

The uncertainties were endless.

But regardless…

Home.

They were on their way.

~\/~


	2. Chapter 2

**Our World: Notre Monde**

The silence that came upon visual contact was audible. And then there were the terrible vocalizations. Allura could not bring herself to turn and see the pain on the faces of her paladins, their sounds of anguish echoed in her ears. She turned her face first to Coran. Their expressions mirrored one another, the same dreaded thoughts hanging between them. Above all the need for action; 'What do we do?'.

Earth was not simply absent. It was not misplaced. No. It was lying in scattered pieces loosely arced around the last semblance of an orbit.

This was a heavy blow.

They were at their weakest right now.

She knew none of her paladins were fit to pilot in this state. If they even attempted to the results would be catastrophic.

They needed to leave.

If Zarkon found them like this, they would be helpless.

Now more than ever she needed to act.

Allura finally curved to face her broken warriors. Scattered across the room she sought out each person, looking for some sort of response.

No aid was to be gained from the leader of Voltron- the black paladin had been again overtaken by trauma that still clung to his mind. Shiro stood stock still, pinned by turmoil. Memories exploded behind his retinas and voices from the past burned his ears. He had seen this before. Seen it, and heard the accompanying malicious tones which labeled it as a _botched job_.

Visuals of the present and past overwhelmed his mind, all the while the screeching soundtrack repeated

 _Botched job, botched job, botched job._

It would be a long time before Shiro would surface from this crisis to even consider the connotations.

The rest of the crew fared no better.

Hunk wavered on his feet looking fit to fall.

Pidge was ripping hair out without even realizing it, simultaneously struggling to breathe.

Lance had hit the deck on all fours and was making sounds of anguish.

And Keith was probably…

She whirled around.

"Coran" was the warning she breathed.

With no more than that princess Allura rushed across the bridge, her elegant Altean robes bunched between her fingers. There in the far corner _she_ football tackled the shaking Keith preventing him from engaging the red lion entry system.

Breathing broken gasps, he gave a feral cry "Get off me!" Alas, as was fate, an Altean's strength was superior to that of a human's. She secured his arms and torso to the deck with her own weight.

Though restrained face down the paladin lashed out and screamed- red Bayard bursting to life in his hands. She knew rage had him prepared to sink lethal force into the power of that blade. But even expecting this did not ready her for the inhuman strength that burst forth from Keith in that moment. Shocked, her grip slipped and Keith still half pinned moved to strike against her. _Crunch._ In one swift movement Coran had crashed his boot down on Keith's wrist eliciting a cry of pain from the boy. The next moment his grip expelled the weapon and Coran kicked it aside before replacing the weight of his foot on Keith's wrist.

The room was quiet but for the panting of the three involved in the scuffle. Keith had ceased his struggle. All eyes centered on this fallen group on the deck of the bridge.

Allura's searched the room holding the gaze of each as she turned her head.

"Paladins" gasped Allura "Please do not enter your lions. You are unfit to pilot in this state".

~\/~

"I'll take care of this one."

These words from Coran served to release the room's occupants from their immobile state. The aged Altean gently guided Keith from the room.

Hunk sank down, easing his weight onto the steps of the bridge, head in hands. Lance remained where he was on the floor albeit now silent.

Their leader seemed to regain a sense of the situation. He grabbed Pidge before the child could fall, depositing her on the steps next to the largest of the group. She seemed disoriented when Shiro's reassuring grip vanished from her arms, but the lost comfort was quickly replaced by a strong hug from Hunk. Fat tears fell atop Pidge's head and salty water worked its way through Hunk's sleeve.

Before his composure could leave, the black paladin approached Lance. He rested his hand briefly on the boy's shoulder before hoisting him up by the arms. The blue paladin made no struggle and was led across the room; placed to lean up against Hunk's other side.

Shiro made to back away from the three now clinging to each other on the steps. His backwards motion was blocked by Allura, who nudged him towards his team. He collapsed on the steps next to Pidge.

Sometime later Keith joined them, wrist and hand bandaged, Coran in tow. Without words he took his place besides Shiro. Hands welcomed him into the fold, arms draped around his frame.

The paladins were a bundle of grief, clinging to each other on the steps of the bridge. Allura didn't have the heart to move the ship, as all five paladins stared at the remains of their home.

~\/~

Author's Addendum:

Once again I feel the need to reiterate that this chapter's contents are inspired by Angelitalysrg's Tumblr post. It is of worthy note that this appears to be the origin of the 'Voltron could return to earth only to find it destroyed' idea within the fandom (although admittedly earth meets a similar fate in the original go-lion anime). From here the story will clearly deviate from its primer, exploring new territory, but regardless this setup is important because it ignited some long forgotten curiosity. The implications of being off planet when your home is destroyed must have subconsciously intrigued me since my first viewing of star wars. And now I have decided to act on those ideas in the form of my very first fanfiction


	3. Chapter 3

An intermission-

 **Our Patience**

Coran had been sure the Earth would be safe. Proof Positive.

He had considered himself well informed on the machinations of the prior monarch's strategy. From the moment Coran had concluded the strangers arriving in the blue lion were indeed earthlings he had felt assured. Despite all the horrible things that had happened in the ten thousand year interim, their arrival meant everything was going according to plan.

King Alfor had all but promised the planets' protection from coming conflict. He had taken measures to safeguard the home world for the next generation of paladins. Perhaps ten thousand years was long enough that such safeguards could fail.

And now that Coran knew with certainty those associated defenses were well out of play he would proceed as though nothing had changed when in fact everything had.

~\/~

Separation felt wrong, but it happened. Sent back to their quarters to clean up and sleep each paladin was left alone with their thoughts.

Keith had always been one to follow his instincts. It had never steered him wrong before. Instincts had been his greatest asset in flight school. Those same instincts had gotten him safely through the many trials of being a Voltron paladin. And most of all, gut instincts were the reason Shiro was safe and here. Leading the team.

 _Instincts._

Or at least that's what he thought they were.

So why had they been so wrong before, on the bridge. He had used potentially lethal force against the princess whose allegiance he was sworn to. He had deemed it beyond necessary to enter his lion, but for what purpose? He could not begin to imagine.

Coran made a quiet entrance, hoping not to startle the boy he spoke softly; "how is your wrist holding up?"

 _Coran had noticed it first_ when bandaging the boy's wrist.

The purple.

The truth.

It was leaking through.

Right there in the starkly lit med bay.

"How long has this been happening?" Coran whispered.

"It doesn't happen that often."

"Keep it covered." Had been the Altean's parting advice.

 _And now_ , again upon inspection the purple hue was receding under soft evening lights.

"Conceal it a few days more. Then things should be fine."

~\/~

Pidge had curled up in a ball. Away from prying eyes turtleneck pulled up to nose level. Lungs drew deep breaths. The fabric no longer smelled like her brother, it didn't even smell like home. So many washes, so many months in space had destroyed that sensory value.

The green paladin's current identity was largely inspired by her brother. Devotion had lovingly recreated the cherished attributes of Matt to reveal that layered within Katie was Pidge.

And now there was no act. _Pidge was just Pidge._

Pidge on the battlefield, on deck, and on the search for the Holt family's missing pieces.

But that identity, that image. It had all been a part of those earth memories and was ripping at her very soul. The secrets, the connections, everything, everyone…

Everyone was dead. Her mother whom had only ever known her as Katie, her mother who must not have known what happened when her daughter disappeared, her mother who would have spent her last days mourning the complete loss of family. _Her mother_ ; the one who was supposed to be safe.

 _Her family_. It was more torn apart than ever. She could feel the faith draining from her body. Would she ever find her brother and father? They hadn't been on earth. Was it so wrong to hope? _Was it sick?_ Was it selfish? None of her teammates would ever have that chance; the chance to see their families alive again.

The door slid open, its hiss springing the paladin from her mind trap.

~\/~

Coran found Lance in a pitiful state. The young man had found writing supplies and was furiously scribbling away producing page after page of names. People on paper. People that he had known- People that were now dead.

"Alright. Up ye get." Coran announced hoisting Lance into the air by his arms. Lance made sounds of protest but Coran held firm "If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that this" he motioned to the haphazard papers littering the floor, "isn't healthy". Lance's hand lost purchase on the writing utensil and was led out of the room.

~\/~

Minutes later Lance was deposited into Hunk's waiting arms. The yellow paladin had not even made it back to his own room. He had somehow found shelter in a long forgotten alcove. Both boys slumped over in Hunk's makeshift haven.

Hunk was the only person on the ship, hell the only _person_ who knew _exactly_ who Lance had lost. The reverse was true for Hunk as well. Being longtime friends at the Academy meant they had met each other's families and even spent quality time with them.

Both could recall with vivid clarity that final shared family vacation. It had been the last days of summer before cadet training resumed. A cloudless sky and blue waters blessed the outing. Children of all ages played in the surf and adults lounged beneath umbrellas. The best of hours passed in bliss. Blue hues were soon painted over with pinks and purples that harbored a brilliant orange sunset. The combined families stayed the full day and well into the night. They played in the surf, grilled food, and told scary stories over a bonfire.

"Hunk, what if we forget them?"

"Sh-Sh."

Hunk couldn't think, the prospect was too horrifying to imagine.

~\/~

 _Botched job_. The words were jarring in his mind.

Shiro raked his hands through his salt and pepper hair sitting in silence.

He had been working on filtering memories by detaching himself from them; instead sieving through for notable information.

Shirogane had stopped fretting over the implications of his patchy memory; ever since Pidge had brought up that subject on Arus.

 _That memory_ at least was still crystal clear in his mind. Pidge had sat idly with legs swinging over the edge. A gust of wind passed as they watched the starset on the horizon of Arus. It was nearly dark and Shiro had been satisfied with their earlier talk. They sat undisturbed. The comfortable silence was broken by a hesitant question. "When they anesthetized you… back on earth I mean, do you know what they used?"

Shiro had responded with a negative shake of his head.

"Even though we saw it happen through the hacked security feed we couldn't tell what they used. " Pidge stated apologetically. "Once we rescued you- we were in such a rush I didn't even think to check. We had no reason to assume…" She seemed reluctant to continue. "But now, I think maybe whatever they hit you with holds some of the blame for when y-you can't remember."

Pidge relayed that before the earth scientists put him under he had seemed possibly more coherent. Though panic and desperation to warn the garrison had certainly driven his dialogue, it was obvious he had a better understanding of the situation that night than when he woke from the anesthesia in the morning.

Shiro considered Pidge's suspicions and ranked them as a definite possibility. And unsettling though the idea was, it was an answer, a solution- so that the problem wouldn't keep him up at night. He had laid it to rest.

 _Until now._ This memory was so tainted with emotion, its essence dripped off those terrible words. It was further mixed with and polluted by his current state of distress. He didn't know how he could possibly search for something useful in his broken memories. Not now.

His misery was interrupted thankfully by Coran.

~\/~

Coran returned to the deck shortly after attempting to feed the paladins. He listed off who had accepted and whom hadn't, then promising to keep track because these humans became weak quickly when not fed.

The princess had not followed his continuing commentary. Her own train of thought departed once Keith's name was mentioned. What had happened when she had tackled Keith to the deck? That strength was not something she had even remotely expected. He had never displayed such force against the gladiator in training. That day's display had to have been twice the average readout normally collected from him. But now that she knew- whatever the reason- he would not surprise her again.

 _Surprised…_

Coran had not been surprised. How had he known she would need help? Just like her he could have evaluated the situation and deemed one Altean's strength enough to restrain a human. Coran had acted quickly and directly. Though she was grateful of her advisor's action she couldn't help but wonder, had he anticipated this? For all his goofy antics Coran was quite knowledgeable. Was there something she was missing?

"Ah, there he is now." Coran announced interrupting the princess's reverie.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Shiro, he said he wished to speak with you."

In her mind she couldn't help but dread what he had to say. The last time he had wanted to talk the result was less than pleasant.

It had been little over _two weeks_ ago. The Paladins had been reunited for a few days, but the result of separation still weighed heavy on their hearts.

Allura had been so relieved. They had been able to retrieve the paladins in good health and good time. She hoped her father would be proud of the decisions she had made. She had managed to fix her mistakes- or so she thought.

When Shiro had asked to talk in private she had obliged. His demeanor was changed. She had not anticipated this lasting effect. Though he had long since vacated the medical pod, Shirogane Takashi was wounded.

 _Zarkon was the black paladin._

The resigned look on her face was all he needed to see.

"I am a soldier. I know that withholding information is standard practice. But I… I will never be able to face any of their families if they die in vain, for a simple lack of communication. Please. If there is anything that important.. If you can, please tell us."

His statement shook Allura to her core. She had failed. Already her link to the paladins was damaged. Her short time as a leader had procured an irreparable blunder.

Trust had been shattered.

But _this_ _time_ as Coran opened the door to Shiro all she could see was trepidation.

"I felt I should share this concern with you as soon as possible."

The once proud leader bowed his head in defeat.

"I fear we will be unable to form Voltron".

~\/~

The seated team framed a disjointed circle, meditation gear in place.

They attempted to form Voltron. Collectively their minds had been a scattered mess and the clumsily formed pieces collided in a wreck then dissolved. The turmoil was so complete that one could not even begin to isolate what conflict to work on first.

Resigned silence permeated the chamber.

The shattered hologram broke each paladin in its own special way. Heads were turned in shame. All reluctant to speak; to acknowledge the failure. To voice the problem would be to reveal the disgusting truth.

This is the kind of silence that burns your throat. It suffocates your breathing and seals the room. The vacuum shuts out air for conversation and stills all movement.

The black paladin let out a sigh. "I thought it was my fault."

Everyone's head snapped up.

"That's what hit me first. I'm the one that took an escape pod back to our planet."

Wary stares were pointed his way. Feelings of guilt crashed through the mind link, facilitated by the meditation gear.

"I felt like I led them there."

Keith was quick to dissent. "Shiro, they would have come anyways- the blue lion was there."

"I know." Shiro gave a small smile. "-but it certainly felt like it."

A forlorn Hunk spoke up "If anything it's all our faults because we formed-."

"It's not anyone's fault." Shiro interrupted. "That is what I came to realize." He wanted to give everyone that small piece of relief. "I want you all to say it. It's not our fault."

Like a rhyme each member stuttered out the statement piecemeal. Every little bit of grief and guilt was packed into those words.

And just like that the floor had opened for confessional.

Emotions poured through the mind link.

Keith's insecurity.

Lance's regrets.

Hunk's pain.

Pidge's guilt.

Everyone's grief.

Each thought and emotion was turned over gently and passed between them.

Perhaps an hour later the silence was broken.

"Guys, I felt the worst when I was alone." Hunk voiced.

The others murmured in agreement.

"Can we stick together please?"

~\/~

 _Two weeks_ before discovering the annihilated Earth, freshly retrieved paladins were all gathered on the bridge at Allura's behest. Shiro and Coran already stood by her side as the younger members entered. A hush fell over the cadets.

With a somber expression the princess addressed her knights. "I owe you all an explanation and an apology. I withheld information from you and we all paid the price."

Collectively the group twitched. Whether it was a grimace or shudder it was clear they knew what she was talking about.

"I did not do this with malicious intent. It was something I wasn't ready to talk about; that I feared you were not ready to hear."

"You needed to be a solid team- have an unbreakable trust- to form Voltron. Knowing that a betrayal happened in the past despite the mind link… would not have been helpful."

Her heart broke at the despondent demeanor of her paladins.

"Is there anything I can do to fix this?"

 _Anything._ If there was anything she could do to make reparations, to heal the broken trust, she would do it.

The children exchanged glances.

It didn't matter who said it, the thought was on all their minds.

"Allura. Can we go to earth?"

A little over two weeks ago Shiro had expressed his concerns and Allura had done her best to remedy them.

 _Now_ they were here, stuck dead center, marked with pain. In the face of such a tragedy she knew her duty; keep the Paladins strong.

~\/~

That night the Paladins of Voltron dragged pillows and blankets to the lounge. Allura procured extra cushions for the floor before dismissing herself. The ring of furniture was soon filled with fluffy materials. Five pilots spread across the couches and made-up floor haphazardly.

Morning would find them all much closer than the night before.

To Allura they appeared remarkably like a pride of lions.

~\/~


	4. Chapter 4

Expect lots of speculation, the act of buying into various fan theories, and a trip into referencing the 80's version. You have been warned.

 **Our present: Il Nostro Presente**

Her Highness hovering over the communications console seemed an out of place image for reasons the others couldn't seem to isolate. But it was hardly worth questioning; right now there was an important task at hand.

The humans waited with baited breath for news.

"I am sorry. I have been unable to pick up transmissions in this sector." She averted her eyes in shame. Suddenly a thought struck her "How far out are human ships able to travel?"

"Only to Kerberos." was the dejected reply. That was definitely inside the sector. Within radius of the castle's search capabilities.

"Wait! My radio gear!" Pidge's exclamation echoed around the chamber. Only Hunk seemed to understand its significance. "We don't transmit messages the same way as the rest of the 'known universe'!"

Lance cut in skeptical; "Wait, really?"

"Yes!" Pidge was on a roll. "I had to make special equipment to get my hands on alien radio chatter. Even then it was always garbled because I was just picking up leftovers. What if the reverse is true here? Your communications system may not be compatible with our own."

"Yes, that makes quite a bit of sense." Coran shook his head in agreement. "Their system must be so nascent in comparison; the castle simply doesn't know to listen for it!"

"Right" Pidge grumbled.

Sometimes Coran knew how to throw in 'unintentional' jibes at the most inopportune times.

~\/~

The paladins traveled to the lab for Pidge's gear.

Alone two Alteans went about their work silently.

The navigator turned to exit the bridge.

"Coran." The Princess caught him with a stern look.

He sighed resignedly. "You know my reservations about this Princess."

"And I do not approve of them."

A malcontent silence formed between them.

She couldn't help but remember his prior sentiments. Almost trancelike she repeated the words he spoke when their journey had been earthbound. "They deserve this; even if we never had the chance."

"You know that's not what this is about." His voice echoed; soft and remorseful.

"I know. I understand your concerns. But we both know the Paladins could not abide by them."

~\/~

Our heroes sat clustered around some messy looking equipment that Hunk and Pidge had thrown together. Its cables extended into a panel of the ship where Pidge was working on the last links. Allura and Coran looked over the setup curiously, before checking the ships readouts. "This is the kind of message we are looking for?" Allura queried. Coran was similarly befuddled "Humans send messages this way? Isn't it rather inefficient?"

Pidge pulled away from the panel and sighed. "May not be the best, but it can still pick up on remnants of your own chatter."

Hunk made a few last checks, "remember what Pidge said about picking up the leftovers? You guys still end up transmitting some stuff at this level too, sort of an echo of the original transmission frequency."

The green paladin wandered over to the controls reluctantly.

This was it. It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, toes on the precipice. Vertigo and adrenaline pulling toward a conclusion. Time to try; to make the jump.

A few key strokes and the 'new' dish affixed outside the castle was activated. "We are going to have to take time to check for signals from all directions" Pidge informed Allura "that means rotating the castle periodically."

"Right. How often would that be?"

"On earth we kept DSN systems at strategic points 120° apart on the surface so we would always have a possible connection. Shiro?" Pidge looked at her superior questioningly.

Shiro gave a thoughtful pause. "Every mission has its own schedule for contact and messages, but there should be fairly frequent signals sent by a low gain antenna. Those are our best bet for finding something."

"There still is lag to deal with." Hunk piped up, "Interference too."

"There's also the distinct possibility some of them may have turned off their signals in order to trouble shoot since they have lost contact with earth." Pidge added

"It's hard to say." Shiro conceded. "Just to be safe let's give each direction a fair amount of time. "

At this point, Allura was sure a 'fair amount of time' was going to be a sizeable chunk. She sighed inwardly. An indefinite wait was exactly what Coran had been trying to avoid. Keeping him complacent would be a chore.

~\/~

Dim evening lights filled the bridge and a bright screen crowned Pidge's form. Perched in front of the computer the young paladin was on radio duty. Relentlessly scanning the waves low conversation rumbled in her ears— unfortunately not from any transmission—Allura and Shiro lurked nearby. They had chosen this particular time and place to have a little chit chat. Pidge was not annoyed, even if excluded from the conversation, company offered more than just static for listening.

But why did it have to be so tense?

"How will we approach the ones we find? You have all said most humans are in denial about the greater galaxy's residents. Is there anything we can do to alleviate this situation?"

"We will greet them first. Human contact will be best."

 **Their present**

Stars shone brightly above the Galra space hub. A large warship was docked, and presently being loaded with supplies.

Bathed in purple light, a lone figure had been waved aboard by guards. He made his way discreetly through the bowels of the craft. Boots clicked against the sterile floors coming to a stop before the bridge.

"Vrepit Sa." He made his entrance known.

The sole occupant of the bridge turned expectant eyes upon the entrant.

"Congratulations on the destruction of Earth General Lotor." The newcomer proclaimed. "You have once again displayed the might of Zarkon

Lotor grimaced. "It was not meant to be a display of power. Simply retribution."

"Of course General. I only meant to congratulate you."

"No, you have come to test the waters." Lotor rebutted. "The Voltron victory was a fluke. I could not allow such a defeat to stand. We both know this."

The unwelcome guest remained silent. He knew better than to test this warlord's anger.

"Now tell me Sravd, what are you really here for?"

Said purple miscreant kowtowed.

"Forgive me; it is simple curiosity that befalls me." He gave a nervous grin careful to leave his canines covered. "The supplies currently being loaded— they are a bit unusual for a ship of your bearing— I couldn't help but wonder, might you need more soldiers as well?"

"Ah, I see the gag order has not hailed down from above then." Lotor gave a malicious laugh. "Your impertinence proves useful here. I shall enforce it myself."

~\/~


	5. Chapter 5

**Our hope**

 **Part One**

Space expeditions—though more frequent and more technologically advanced than in past decades-were still expensive, time consuming, and delicate procedures. Hence most distanced missions were manned by the smallest crew possible to complete their task.

So the five man crew at an established base on Ganymede was a larger than average find.

~\/~

"I can't believe they haven't scored a single goal!"

Two men outfitted in garrison space gear sat side by side on a bench avidly staring at a screen. Their suits bore labels identifying them as Torres and Malone.

The dark haired Torres gave a mirthful reply; "Then you're not gonna like what happens next."

"Hey! We made a pact!" The red head adjacent gave an undignified screech. "We were supposed to skip watching sports for a whole season! You got spoilers!"

Torres raised his hands in defeat, "Hold up man, I did my best but this one ended up on the news."

"You have broken the sacred pact!" Malone whined.

"Hah, yeah the sacred pact of waiting to enjoy sports until we've got months to spend in space" his friend responded with a winning smile.

"Sacred" Malone grumbled.

"Right, sorry Rorie, I really didn't mean to. Besides hearing about it can't be as good as seeing it happen on screen."

There was a sigh of defeat. The red head relented in his attack and they both resumed their enthusiastic viewing of the prerecorded sports game.

"Oh! Oh, it's gonna!"

The rowdy noise of two sports fans echoed around the base. It pinged off the tinny walls and delicate instruments.

Outside, harsh winds beat around the Earthlings' haven. Small amounts of light afforded to Ganymede revealed their base to be large and circular in shape. The landscape was frosted and jagged crafting an unforgiving landscape. The earthlings' construction was erected near their original landing site, and would be left upon departure. Atop the domed exterior of its circumference was a large dish and corresponding antennae. It was there that a third inhabitant of the base could be seen, fiddling with the communication gear.

His space suit read Braunstein on the front and bore the insignia of the dedicated Galaxy Garrison Science Sector. If one got close enough they would perhaps hear the music emanating from his person. It echoed across the frozen wasteland from its source—which would be a portable music device attached to the astronauts hip. Said person attended his task with a purpose, occasionally tapping his foot to the tune.

Parts were removed, wires checked, and settings altered. It was a long while before he straightened his back and stretched skyward. Seemingly satisfied, the astronaut packed up his tools and descended from the base's roof.

Safely within the air lock said astronaut removed his helmet revealing a surprisingly young face with a head of overgrown unruly locks. Bushy half formed curls bounced around his features as he padded his way into the construct. Braunstein slipped behind his red and black haired compatriots in the front room before making his way back to the communications center.

He pulled up his personal communications file labeled 'AARON BRAUNSTEIN'. A few moments later the aforementioned gave a resigned moan. Both the low-gain and high-gain antenna had failed to connect with earth, so Aaron would have to leave a message. Again.

~\/~

 _Blip Blip Blip_ went the new castle equipment.

 _Beep Beep Beep_ went Pidge's laptop.

"Yes! A reading!" Alone the green paladin rejoiced.

In a few moments streams of audio files and mission logs had deposited themselves onto the hard drive. Keys click-clacked in quick succession and at the press of a button, the main star chart was projected in the center of the room. A blinking red dot confirmed the signal's source. Superfluous, the files were left untouched as Pidge scrambled up, ready to fetch the rest of the crew. It hardly mattered what kind of communication they were intercepting, location was all they needed.

Moments later the room would be filled with all seven members, loud and boisterous; their hope and the joy overwhelming.

Brimming with anticipation all crowded around the star chart while Coran crafted a course. Mesmerized, the paladins were gazing in awe at the little crimson speck, presumably marking life.

Allura couldn't help but smile fondly. She breathed in the peace and hope. This made everything worthwhile.

"Oh that's Ganymede." Shiro let out a small sigh of relief. "We did have plans for a base there last I remember."

~\/~

"Aaron Bruanstein from _Ganymede base Troy_ _recording a personal message for Helena Abdel."_

Aaron was situated in front of the camera, recording icon lit up bright red. _"Hey there Helena! Just leaving you another message... It's been seventeen days since the last time we were successfully able to communicate with Earth."_

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat _. "At risk of sounding like a broken record… I'm worried. And, well it's that worry which has me stuck at base camp instead of out in the field today."_

" _Commanders Cooper and Sergeyev felt it would be best if I took a break."_

" _When they get back later, we will have an actual mission report for you along with more data."_

" _I checked over the communications equipment again, just in case. I know you'll be disappointed in me- that I've been so anxious."_

He glanced down at his hands guiltily before changing the subject.

" _But I've got to say I'm feeling a lot better now that I've opened the most recent of your care packages."_ He waved a small memory chip in front of the screen. _"I'm really glad I didn't decide to open them all at once. Getting new music in the middle of a mission is a nice surprise."_

His smile was bright and shone with genuine affection.

" _We are all wishing you were here with us."_

He reached for the comm button.

"—until next time."

~\/~

"Then I'll go with you on retrieval." Keith stated, almost a little too eager.

"No. No, no, no, no." Lance interjected "I wanted to go with Shiro for retrieval."

Keith shrugged raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"You can't just call dibs like that!" Lance protested.

"I believe I just did." The offender deadpanned.

It took a moment for Shiro to step in, almost with disbelief. "Both of you will come with me." He emphasized, then continued under his breath "Need to teach you both some diplomacy anyhow."

The two bickering individuals seemed to have missed his later statement. They were far too busy shooting glares at each other. Shiro sighed then "Pidge, will you please come as communications and support?"

Perhaps a bit more emphasis was put on the word 'support' than necessary, but Pidge understood. "You got it."

"Hunk, I'm sorry but that leaves you on backup."

"I'll keep my distance and watch your backs." He saluted.

"Thank you." Their leader gave a heavy sigh. "Let's suit up."

Alone in the Castle of the lions the lingering Alteans freely exchanged their bewilderment.

"It's been a while since they've had a row. Are we to take it as a good sign? "

"I do hope so."

~\/~

"Sending messages to the beautiful earthly angel Helena?"

His crewmates had apparently finished their sports reverie and sought to sneak up on the grad student. Torres and Malone blocked the younger's path—disgruntled Aaron attempted to ignore them.

"Hey we're not trying to tease you." Roger amended.

Rorie grinned. "Speak for yourself."

Would they leave him alone if he didn't respond?

A beat of silence then…

"Oi! Kid! You still moping?" One loud commented, followed by another. "You gotta pull it together!" In Aaron's humble opinion Rorie Malone had the propensity to be absolutely obnoxious. Roger Torres, though less belligerent still felt the need to give his two cents. "I know you're anxious, but chill out dude."

Of this, Aaron was already quite aware. A frantic conversation with the commander this morning was the reason he was stuck at base camp instead of out in the research field. He had been scolded like a child and told he would need to calm down before being allowed to handle the delicate research equipment again.

"We aren't meant to always be in contact with earth—there's always gaps." Rorie casually asserted while draping himself across the side of the console. "—besides it's not like there aren't hiccups in communication sometimes. What with solar flares and the like."

As far as he was concerned they were completely missing the point. "It's been more than two weeks!" Aaron protested shoving Rorie's stupid face away from the monitor. That span of time to his knowledge was entirely too long.

The infuriating redhead chuckled good-naturedly. "Eh, it's abnormal but see; it doesn't matter. Our mission is running smoothly." Ever confident the redhead continued his placation. "Besides, we're on the ground and shouldn't have to worry about complications until the return trip. If there ever was a time to loose radio contact this is it. We've been blessed." He kissed his crucifix for emphasis.

Aaron sighed in defeat. He pushed his last anxiety ridden thought into the open space. "I just can't help thinking, what if."

"What if what?" Rorie smirked.

"You can't keep second guessing things. If you get hung up on all the possibilities you'll just worry yourself to death."

"I-I don't want to get hung up on the possibilities, but there's just this nagging thought. What if this is what happened to the Kerberos mission?" Aaron blurted out.

"What?"

"I mean, what if they lost contact and that's the real reason they didn't come back. That whole 'pilot error' explanation was so vague."

"Look, we all know the summary they gave everybody is bullshit. Shirogane Takashi was one of the best damn pilots out there." Malone raked his hands through his hair. "But there's a reason they tell it the way they do- because it's a cautionary tale y'know. The garrison needs an Icarus."

"Yup." The other pilot agreed "There's always an Icarus to warn the trainees against flying too high."

"When we were cadets it was good ol' Michael Burgundy." Rorie chuckled, "now that tale was a sight more gory."

"Trust us when we say that whatever happened on the Kerberos mission, it's not happening here."

The young scientist nodded slowly head bent low.

The trio stood inert, their shadows cast across the room by the glow of the monitors.

"An Icarus." Aaron murmured. "Right."

~\/~

Yes a five man crew would be a significant increase in the known human population. It would in fact double it.

Too bad said crew just couldn't seem to bring themselves to trust the _alien ship_ which came a-calling.

These men weren't stupid. They were human of course, prone to flaws and mistakes. But nonetheless they were not stupid. One did not fly long distance missions for the galaxy garrison if one did not possess basic logic capabilities. And the connotations of the situation were not lost on these humans.

So it didn't help when the Voltron team botched first contact.

Pidge knew the correct verbiage. It had been used before in garrison flight simulators. She recalled with dejection the last practiced dialogue. It wasn't a perfect fit; their craft had no garrison ID. So it was time to improvise.

Her thumb pressed down opening the communications channel. _"Attention Lunar vessel, rescue craft is coming in for landing and extraction. Please stand by."_

In some ways it felt as though things had come full circle.

~\/~

"Rescue craft?"

The message had prompted a rapid fire discourse between the two Garrison pilots.

"We haven't been without contact long enough to even start a rescue."

"Never mind the time it would take for one to arrive."

"That wasn't correct procedural dialogue."

"They didn't give a Garrison ID."

"And that doesn't look like one of ours."

"Wha-?" Aaron was beyond bewildered.

"That's not a Garrison ship."

"How can that be?"

"that's definitely not a friendly."

"we're positive?"

"yes."

"Oh- oh." This didn't fit the protocol of anything he had been taught. "Does that mean…?"

"It means we are under attack" Roger clarified.

'Under attack by what?' his traitorous mind supplied, though his more immediate concern was voiced first. "What do we do?"

"Guerilla strategy kid, that's what. Now stop asking stupid questions and start following orders."

~\/~

"Huh."

Familiar yet unfamiliar garrison gear surrounded three of the paladins.

The motley crew paced the length of the curved base before stopping at a bank of computers. Shiro accessed the log entries and gave a small huff. "They're scheduled to be away on assignment; collecting samples probably. They must not know anything is wrong".

"Stupid garrison." Lance grumbled while Keith ever attentive wondered about the options. "So do we go find them? Do we wait here?"

"We do both." He intoned firmly. "You two stay here; try not to cause too much trouble. I'll go search for their operations site."

And with that Shiro made for the air lock. "Pidge, base was empty. Heading out to the field of operation; stand by." He reported and set off from the compound.

The two trouble makers stood around idly, refusing to make eye contact.

"Well, I dunno about you but I'm not gonna sit around by the door"

"Suit yourself." Keith responded as Lance began to roam around the building. The blue clad pilot certainly fancied himself a cool customer.

In his peripheral vison Keith could see Lance's lanky form, but it wasn't the only movement he caught.

"Lance!" Keith bolted for his teammate too late as the assailant connected a metal frame with the back of the blue paladin's head. Not a moment later the red paladin was forced to activate his riot shield and block another attacker from behind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Our Hope**

 **Part Two**

Malone and Torres had originally received military training.

How had Aaron not realized?

To clarify; The Garrison was effectively a military. Just not in the conventional sense. It provided security and regulation for all space bound crafts. They trained pilots, communications technicians, and engineers alike, but Garrison officers were more than just those jobs. It was their responsibility to uphold martial law while in space.

But the actions of Torres and Malone spoke of experience. The calm and precision with which they executed their plan of attack was incredible.

Prior to the mystery ship's touchdown fresh ice storms were preventing communication with the two remaining crew members at the work site. This was actually rather important as the absent members were highest in command for the Ganymede mission and most actions were not taken without their approval. The pilots took this obstacle in stride.

"Alright, Here's the deal. The fact that we have two exits and a circular base works in our favor." Rorie explained. "Roger and I will remain inside the base. You Aaron, are going to find some ice dune to hide behind and be our eyes."

Roger was quick to explain. "We need you. You tell us where the ship lands. How many exit it. Which door they come in."

"And if they are just gonna shoot up the base we need to know that too. That's kind of important." Rorie added.

Roger nodded his head in agreement. "Above all we do not want to get boxed in."

After wrapping up the planning session Rorie was waving goodbye through the airlock. "See you on the other side kid."

Precious few moments found Aaron huddled behind an ice dune, binoculars in hand.

" _Eyes on the craft?_ " Rorie's voice crackled to life over the intercom.

A silvery vehicle fell through Ganymede's atmosphere framed by the ever-present Jupiter on the horizon.

"Yes, they are coming down. It's not a traditional landing I'll give it that."

" _What do you mean?_ "

"Well it's definitely not a Garrison craft, and it is descending oddly."

A few minutes later the craft had ended up surprisingly close to the base.

"Ship has settled about a hundred meters from the south entrance."

"Hatch opening."

" _How many?_ "

Aaron hummed from the other end of the line. "Give it a minute."

Once satisfied that no more were on the way he gave the necessary information. "Three. Three heading toward the south door of _Troy._ "

They wore odd suits, Aaron observed, definitely not Garrison mandate. He held his breath as the strangers paused in front of the air lock. "Wait how're they gonna get in?" The threat he had not anticipated was now readily apparent.

" _Don't worry kid, we're all suited up in case they break the air seal._ "

Abruptly the full consequences hit Aaron. The base was life. It was their supplies, their air, and their equipment. If destroyed the Ganymede mission would be dangerously close to helpless. Thankfully, that worry was unfounded as one of the strangers proceeded to operate the airlock with practiced ease.

"They're in."

That was the cue for radio silence. Aaron listened to his communicator with bated breath. He would not be allowed to send a message again until the all clear signal. The young scientist stared across the plane, eyes locked on the mystery ship. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

Aaron _needed_ a closer look.

~\/~

Keith was now solidly in the 'instincts are a good thing' corner, seeing as his quick reaction time had just saved him from a blow to the head. Too bad Lance hadn't been as lucky, he lay prone on the ground a few feet away.

The remaining paladin had raised his cyan shield to block whatever blunt object his combatant had acquired. A scruffy red haired man was pulling back for a second swing.

"Stop! What are you doing!?" Keith yelled "We are not the enemy!"

The man did not give pause. Keith put his weight behind the shield and shoved. He downed his closest attacker before rushing to meet the other.

Frantic, the red clad pilot opened the radio channel. "Shiro, we've got hostiles. Requesting backup."

His first opponent did not stay down long enough for Keith to finish the communication. Danger approached fast from behind, the paladin reached to his side for his favored weapon.

With divine light the Bayard blazed to life in his hands blocking a potent strike. Weapons crashed together and the resulting tone resonated around the base. The Bayard's glow bounced off the suits of the garrison officers; it's frightening flicker disturbing to the earthlings.

Wide eyes made contact and time seemed to stand still.

In that moment of shock a yell overtook the fray. "Everybody freeze!" Lance had somehow dragged himself to a sitting position and was aiming his Bayard into the fray. "Hands in the air!"

~\/~

Aaron could not believe what he was doing. As soon as he had moved from his icy hiding spot he was walking out in the open. Approaching an enemy spacecraft without any cover. Rorie and Roger would be screaming in his ears right now if they could see him.

Recon he rationalized. The ship is empty now, what better time to glean information?

It was beautiful and strange. So different in design and function it took his breath away. Aaron was no engineer, but that did not prevent him from being awestruck by the alien craft. If he didn't know better he would say it was the work of minds which had never lain eyes upon garrison tech themselves. Surely a ship so magnificent would contain something that could contact earth.

Its entrance was located at the rear of the craft. The airlock though foreign in nature was easy enough to figure out with a little trial and error.

Just as Aaron began to silently celebrate his discreet entrance he abruptly changed his mind. This was a bad idea after all.

The air lock had opened directly into the main cabin, and there poised over the control panel was proof that the spacecraft was indeed still manned.

Said person was Pidge, whom upon hearing the airlock turned in greeting.

"Oh, you're back! That was—" not what Pidge had expected.

Standing in the doorframe was a garrison astronaut looking very much like a child caught mid mischievous action. The green Paladin paused. Seeing a new human being was a marvel after such a long time in space.

Pidge made a quick recovery. "Uh, hi there. Did they send you ahead?"

Space suit clad man continued to stand stock still by the entrance.

"Ok, so… I'm gonna take that as a no."

Still no response. Time to try the pleasantries.

"It is really nice to meet you. I mean it. My name is Pidge. What's yours?"

That worked; sort of.

"You're the voice from the radio."

"Yeah uh." Pidge nodded a bit startled. His voice had been filled with fear.

The man was slowly backpedaling toward the air lock.

"Woah hey there, I get it. You're probably really creeped out right now."

Hands were searching blindly for the air lock switch. He refused to remove his eyes from the stranger before him.

"Um. Wait!" the paladin held both hands up in surrender. "Ask me something! Anything!" Pidge was grasping at straws. "You don't even have to ask! I can just talk."

Aaron listened in confusion as the green clad stranger suddenly spewed a string of words. "I guess I should start where I left off. I mean you clearly heard me on the radio and I didn't give a Garrison ID so… No, this isn't a garrison craft but we are friendly." Then after a pause the strange green one tugged the helmet off their head. "And yes we _are_ human." The _child_ struck a satisfied grin.

She placed her helmet on the dash, seemingly proud to have made that clarification. But something that was so important to Pidge and her fellow Paladins was a bizarre statement for Aaron to hear. The young scientist stared at this Pidge person incredulously, his body ready to collapse.

The child's brow furrowed in worry when the newcomers' disposition seemed to worsen.

"We _are_ friendly…" was repeated "And uh, I wasn't lying when I said we were coming in for a rescue."

~\/~

Everyone froze, the scene was almost comical. Keith held both Bayard and riot shield in the air poised to defend against attackers on either side. The two burly garrison pilots had paused weapons in mid swing, unsure of this new addition to the fray.

Perhaps they were thinking 'Where did that gun come from?' or 'How could he have hidden that thing?'.

Somehow in all the chaos they had missed the sound of the air lock because now the most immediate door to their left had burst open.

"Lance! Keith!" The standoff was cut short by the arrival of their superior. "We do not raise our Bayards against innocents! Put away your weapons."

"They started it!" whined Lance pathetically from the floor.

"Hate to agree with a five year old's logic, but he's right." Keith gave in dangerous tones. "They snuck up behind him-knocked him out."

At this Shiro gave pause surveying the scene. Concern dressed his brow. "This is so messed up." The black paladin removed his helmet to reveal his face. "I'm sorry for the confusion. My name is Shirogane Takashi. I previously worked as a pilot for the Galaxy Garrison."

The two officers were taken aback. The face and name both undeniably familiar to them.

"This has been a complete misunderstanding. We came here on a rescue mission."

"Keith please stow the Bayard. You too Lance."

"Fine" Keith complied, "But I'm keeping the riot shield."

Just then the blue paladin's Bayard deactivated and clattered to the ground. Lance weakly shifted, eyes dazed.

"Alright. Everybody calm now?" Shiro asked tentatively. The burly officers were slowly backing up, giving red and blue more room.

"Keith? Can you please keep Lance propped up?" Said party quickly moved to close ground between himself and his injured team mate. In that moment the two standing paladins were both startled when radio silence was broken with a message left unheard by the garrison officers. The older paladin acted first; "I'll call it in." His attention suddenly shifted. "Pidge, I need a med evac for Lance stat. Bring a stretcher-"

Slurred words spanned the room interrupting the call. "Space Cops is brought to you by the brave men and women of l-law enforcement" Lance murmured heavy lidded before slumping over

Keith lifted a limp Lance by the shoulders and gave a cry of disbelief "Seriously! You see what they did to him! You're just going to let them get away with that?"

The offending party recoiled.

Shiro disconcerted continued the call"-he is unconscious, possible concussion. Contact the bridge; have them ready a med pod. Keep yellow on standby". Finished with the call, he then knelt down besides the blue paladin checking his vitals.

"Shiro" Keith gritted.

Said person responded in even tones "Now is not the time to place blame." He removed Lance's helmet gently checking the back of his skull.

~\/~

A few moments prior there was still a stalemate happening aboard the rescue vehicle. It had devolved into a strange silence. The green Paladin liked to believe they had come to an agreement of sorts but knew that to be an optimistic outlook. He- the garrison space suit clad one- had absolutely freaked out when she tried to walk towards him. In response she had given him his space, returning to the communications chair, but this was getting nowhere fast. Pidge couldn't help but wonder about the others. "Hey, do you mind?" The sandy haired individual motioned to their helmet. "I haven't made contact with my team in a while."

Once the helmet was again cradling her skull she opened the ship's communication line so that the Garrison guy could hear as well. "Hey guys? What's with the radio silence? You've got me really worried here."

Shiro's voice finally sounded over the ship's intercom. " _Pidge I need a med-evac for Lance stat. Bring a stretcher -_ ". The transmission cut out for a minute and then " _-he is unconscious, possible concussion. Contact the bridge; have them ready a med pod. Keep yellow on standby._ "

The two occupants of the cockpit stared at each other.

"So…" Pidge held the word out longer than necessary. "I know I've done nothing to earn your trust in the last five minutes, but would you like to help me get the stretcher?"

~\/~

Something had the pilots spooked. This did not bode well.

Two command ranked individuals followed Malone and Torres through the base.

Their hurried pace was slowed as they neared the control room. A trickle of red adorned the floor plating of their shelter. "Is that blood?" the grey flecked commander observed.

"That was us" Torres' breath hitched slightly. "I mean, that's not our blood. None of _ours_. But we did that-"an elbow collided with his side and he promptly shut up. The adjacent red head dropped him a look of contempt.

Their two superior officers were beginning to amass some serious unease. There was a disquieting ambiance about the party as they made to open the remaining door.

A diminutive form was perched upon stacked cargo crates. Bordered by a helmet the young cherubic face peered down at them curiously. Their legs swung back and forth a moment before acknowledging the new company. "Commander Cooper! And you must be Mission Specialist Dr. Sergeyev!" The outsider dropped down from the container smoothly, "Pleasure to meet you."

Said heroes stood rooted in the door frame quite unnerved. They made no move toward the strangely dressed newcomer. After all, people do not just 'show up' on one's doorstep in the depths of space.

Offset by their hesitance, the green pilot jumped to routine. "Cadet Gunderson at your service sir!" the aforementioned offered a smile and casual salute.

Sergeyev frowned at the cadet's lackluster decorum. "We are to believe the Garrison sent us a cadet?" Cooper raised an eyebrow. "I must agree with my colleague. This seems to be a rather disingenuous situation."

"I am sorry sirs." The sandy haired cadet intoned respectfully "These are abnormal circumstances. My crew will return before long to give a full explanation."

Pidge's smile faded.

Now that the euphoria of meeting more humans had worn off, the bleak reality set in again. The paladin dreaded what news they would have to deliver. Her cheer wore down and green shoulders slumped. Brown eyes stared into those of her superiors "I truly am sorry."

~\/~


End file.
